Eat a small salad before the main meal to avoid overeating. A study found that women who ate a 100-calorie salad before dinner consumed 12% less calories.

The high fiber content of the salad delays the entry of glucose into the bloodstream and you don't feel hungry very quickly. But be careful in choosing the dressing for the salad. Green salads with a plain dressing of lemon juice or olive oil or vinegar and salts are diet friendly.